Billiard balls

There’s not a ton of sounds that I think of as beautiful. But there’s something about the noise that billiard balls make when they hit each other, and when they fall into a pocket, that gives me joy every time I hear it.

It has an air of sophistication to it. It makes me feel like a member of high society, even if I’m just hearing it and not playing. I’ve never heard that clacking sound replicated anywhere, and it’s one of my favorite sounds in the world.

And, of course, there’s the satisfaction you get when you actually sink a shot. But I know very little about that.

1 comment

I love how evocative this post is. And I love that sound too. There are a few other sports sounds that come to mind (at least for me): tennis balls being hit by rackets, the swish of a nothing-but-net basketball shot. I even like the squeak of basketball players’ shoes. But probably not everyone enjoys that sound.